SFI Explained+ What My First Month Was Like

When I first arrived in Sweden, one of the biggest challenges I anticipated was learning the language. Sure, you can get by with English in most cases, but being able to communicate in Swedish makes life so much smoother—and trust me, it’s a game-changer! That’s where SFI comes in: a free language program for immigrants. In this blog, I’ll walk you through what SFI is, why it’s worth considering, how to sign up, and, most importantly, what my first month has been like as a complete beginner.

What is this SFI?

Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) or Svenska för Invandrare, is a free language program in Sweden aimed at helping newcomers learn the Swedish language. It is offered by the kommun you live in, so the courses themselves and their offerings might slightly vary depending on where you live. Many students who come for university education from outside of Sweden register for SFI courses, not only to improve their everyday Swedish skills, but also to improve their job prospects, as many jobs in Sweden, even part time, expect you to be proficient in Swedish. Most senior students and staff from university recommend registering for these free courses.

As described in the SFI webpage from my kommun in Skövde:

“At SFI in Skövde, we want to give you as an immigrant in Sweden a basic language education so that you can communicate in everyday life, social life, working life and in further studies.”

Why you should consider SFI

Learning Swedish is key to feeling more connected in Sweden, whether you’re here for work, studies, or other personal reasons. Plus, it’s fun to learn a new language!

SFI is also an opportunity to meet new people outside of university, understand Swedish culture, and boost your confidence in navigating everyday life. Trust me, once you start understanding notices, navigating maps, and holding basic conversations in Swedish, everything feels so much easier and less overwhelming!

A common challenge many students face in Sweden is finding part-time jobs, mainly because employers often require proficiency in Swedish. One way to demonstrate your language skills is through SFI. So I highly recommend prioritizing registration and enrollment in SFI courses as soon as you arrive in Sweden.

How can you register to SFI?

Registration for SFI is straightforward and usually managed by your local municipality. Here’s how you can sign up:

• To be eligible for registration, you must first be registered in the Swedish Tax Authority’s population register as a resident of your municipality, and have a personal number (personnummer)
• Contact your local municipality (kommun) to inquire about SFI options in your area. I personally searched “SFI in Skövde,” and filled in a web form from Skövde kommun sharing my personal and contact details.
• Soon, you will be contacted through email or phone and be scheduled for a preliminary meeting where you will undergo an assessment to determine your starting level. Don’t worry- it’s not a test- but rather a conversation with an officer. It’s very chill.

Full time or part time?

SFI offers flexibility to accommodate different schedules and learning goals, so you can choose the option that best suits your needs:

• Full-Time: This option involves intensive study, typically requiring you to attend classes for about 15–20 hours per week. In places like Skövde, the full-time program usually involves attending classes five days a week. While this is ideal for those who can commit more time to language learning, it might not be the best fit for university students or anyone juggling other commitments. For me, attending class five days a week was a bit challenging, considering my university schedule.
• Part-Time: This is a great option if you want to balance learning Swedish with work or studies. The part-time course has fewer hours per week, which gives you the flexibility to manage your time more effectively. In Skövde, for example, the part-time course has mandatory classes on Monday afternoons, outside typical school hours, and optional classes on Thursdays. This setup allows me to attend classes without overwhelming my schedule, giving me more room for university commitments.

Additionally, some municipalities offer evening or online classes, making it even easier to fit Swedish lessons into your busy life. Whether you’re full-time or part-time, the key is choosing what works best for your personal situation while still making steady progress in the language.

What is the structure like?

SFI courses are divided into four main levels: A, B, C, and D.

• Course A: For complete beginners—ideal if you have little or no prior knowledge of Swedish.
• Course B: Focuses on building foundational vocabulary, grammar, and simple conversations.
• Course C: Expands your skills to cover writing, reading, and speaking more complex sentences.
• Course D: Prepares you for further education or work—developing fluency in spoken and written Swedish

The progression is linear: once you pass one level, you move on to the next. Some students may start at a higher level depending on their prior knowledge and test results.

In Skövde, since I am enrolled in the part time structure called “intro flex” both courses A and B are combined together.

So, What was my first month like?

I registered for SFI classes as soon as I received my personal number and officially started on November 17th. Since I had no prior knowledge of Swedish, I decided to start from the very basics by enrolling in the “Intro Flex” course, where courses A and B are combined in a part-time format.

The schedule works well for me: I have mandatory classes every Monday from 17:15 to 18:45 and optional classes on Thursdays from 13:15 to 15:00. Unfortunately, the Thursday classes often clash with my university schedule, so I’ve missed most of them. However, Thursdays are mainly for revision, so I didn’t miss anything substantial and always managed to catch up during the Monday sessions.

One thing I noticed about the part-time structure is the fast pace. With only 12 mandatory classes from mid-November to mid-February, each session covers a significant amount of content. You’re expected to spend the rest of the week revising the material on your own, or it can be challenging to keep up with the class. To help us stay on track, my teacher, Kristina, assigns homework through a platform called “Liber Lunis”, which is a great way to review what we’ve learned each week.

Since SFI is a language course, being proactive is key. You need to consistently practice new words and phrases outside of class to get the best results.

What did I actually Learn?

What really surprised me is how much we’ve covered in just one month and five classes—it’s impressive! From basic greetings to constructing sentences and learning essential grammar, the progress has been substantial, and I’m thoroughly impressed by how far we’ve come already.

Here’s a snapshot of the topics we’ve covered so far:

• The Swedish alphabet
• Classroom items
• Counting up to 100 and beyond
• Saying the time
• Common phrases and greetings
• Short and long sentences
• Days of the week, months, and seasons
• Nouns like today, tomorrow, and yesterday, and sentences using them
• Writing the date
• Presenting our daily routines with common everyday verbs
• Pronouns
• Using the negative “inte”
• Sentence structure and word order
• Family members
• Singular and plural nouns

It’s exciting to see how much progress is possible in such a short time. I’m looking forward to building on this foundation and becoming more confident in Swedish as the course continues!